New Delhi, October 9: INDIA bloc MPs will meet at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan at 3 pm on Friday to discuss the next course of action in their ongoing protest against alleged “vote chori” and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, sources said.
The opposition alliance has sought an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu and is awaiting a response from Rashtrapati Bhavan. Sources indicated that if the meeting does not materialise, the leaders may consider various forms of protest, with all options remaining open.
Possible locations for further demonstrations include Seva Teerth, Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Vice-President’s residence and the residences of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, according to sources.
The proposed meeting comes as the opposition’s agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR exercise enters its fourth consecutive day.
On Thursday, Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said the INDIA bloc had formally requested a meeting with the President and was waiting for a response from her office.
According to Venugopal, the opposition initially sent a request on October 2. Rashtrapati Bhavan subsequently asked the alliance to provide the names of the leaders who would attend the proposed meeting.
“We submitted the request again on October 5, along with the names, seeking an appointment on October 7, 8 or 9,” Venugopal had said.
He added that the opposition had not received a response and would wait until Friday.
The INDIA bloc has intensified its campaign over the electoral roll revision, accusing the Election Commission of acting in a manner that undermines the credibility of the electoral process. The poll body has maintained that its decisions follow established legal and statutory procedures.
On Thursday, opposition leaders staged a sit-in at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat in New Delhi. They accused the BJP leadership and the Chief Election Commissioner of conspiring to undermine democratic institutions through alleged vote manipulation.
The gathering followed two days of protests during which several opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, were detained by police. Opposition representatives said their demonstrations would continue until the Chief Election Commissioner resigned.
At Rajghat, the leaders paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and called for what they described as greater accountability in the conduct of elections.
The alliance had earlier finalised a joint action plan to intensify its campaign against the SIR exercise. The plan includes public rallies and “Save Democracy” marches aimed at mobilising support and highlighting the opposition’s concerns about electoral transparency.
The controversy has also drawn attention to reported disagreements within the Election Commission over decisions concerning the revision of electoral rolls.
A report published by The Indian Express last week said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over the preceding 10 months, largely concerning decisions and orders related to the SIR exercise.
Responding to questions about the reported objections, the Election Commission said differences of opinion and observations were a normal part of deliberations within any institution. It maintained that its orders had full legal sanction and were issued in accordance with established statutory procedures.
The developments have intensified the political confrontation between the opposition and the ruling BJP over the electoral roll revision process. While the INDIA bloc has demanded accountability from the Chief Election Commissioner, the Election Commission has defended the legality of its decisions.
Friday’s meeting at Samvidhan Sadan is expected to help opposition leaders determine their next steps, particularly if their request to meet the President remains unanswered.
The possibility of further demonstrations at prominent government locations signals that the alliance intends to keep the issue in the public domain. However, the nature and venue of any additional protest will depend on the decisions taken by the opposition leaders.
The dispute over the SIR exercise has become a major point of confrontation between the ruling party and opposition groups, with questions surrounding electoral transparency, institutional accountability and the conduct of the revision process remaining at the centre of the debate.